Shillong Peak ropeway: Meghalaya rules out relocation as protesters hold sit-in

Meghalaya's government has said it will neither scrap nor move the proposed Shillong Peak ropeway, a Rs 151 crore project meant to carry tourists to the viewpoint above the state capital. Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said on 5 and 6 November 2026 that a binding 30-year land lease for the project has already been signed and that all required clearances were obtained. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) opposing the ropeway, which wants it moved away from the Lum Shyllong hill over forest and water concerns, held a sit-in at Barik in Shillong on Friday, 6 November.

Ropeways are one way hill states take tourists to viewpoints without building new roads, and they often lead to debate over what they do to forests and local communities.

The Shillong project brings both sides of this debate into one place. For the state government, a ropeway to Shillong Peak is a way to make one of Meghalaya's best-known viewpoints easier to reach and to bring more tourists to the capital. The minister has pointed to the clearances and the signed lease as proof that the project followed the rules, and has offered to take opponents to see ropeways in Sikkim and Shimla.

For the JAC and environmental groups such as the Green-Tech Foundation, the issue is the location. They say building on Lum Shyllong would mean felling trees and could harm water sources. Their demand is not to stop the ropeway altogether but to move it to another site. The government's reply is that the lease binds the project to the present site.

In Meghalaya, traditional bodies such as dorbar shnongs play a central part in local land matters, so a lease signed with them carries weight. How the dispute is settled will matter for other tourism projects in the state that also need community land.

For travellers, nothing changes yet: the ropeway is not built, and the viewpoint is reached by road as before.

Peepals timeline: Environmental clearances were first obtained in 2022, according to the minister. The 30-year lease was signed on 16 January 2023, one report says. On 16 October 2026 the minister defended the clearances as the JAC said it would continue its agitation, and a rally was called for 17 October. On 5 and 6 November 2026 the minister said there would be no rollback or relocation, and the JAC held a sit-in at Barik on 6 November.

Short-term: Protests and statements are likely to continue. The government has said it will proceed, while the JAC has said it will keep up its campaign without going to court for now.

Long-term: If built, the ropeway would change how tourists reach Shillong Peak and could add a new attraction to the capital. The outcome of the dispute may shape how other tourism projects on community land in Meghalaya are planned and consulted on.

Who is affected: Residents near Lum Shyllong and the local dorbar shnongs, tourists and tour operators in Shillong, the state Tourism Department, and environmental groups.

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